Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Quetta and Rawalpindi

For one person, living is cheaper in Quetta: $415 a month against $504 in Rawalpindi, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Quetta
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Quetta Living Index
24

Cost of Living Index in Rawalpindi
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Rawalpindi Living Index

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Quetta

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$415

/mo nomad

Rawalpindi

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$504

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Quetta and in Rawalpindi

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Quetta and in Rawalpindi actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $415 per month in Quetta vs $504 in Rawalpindi, rent included.

Quetta $415
Rawalpindi $504

A couple spends around $620 per month in Quetta vs $787 in Rawalpindi, rent included.

Quetta $620
Rawalpindi $787

A family of three spends $826 per month in Quetta vs $1,069 in Rawalpindi, rent included.

Quetta $826
Rawalpindi $1,069

Quetta is about 18% cheaper than Rawalpindi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Quetta and Rawalpindi are more affordable than the global median – Quetta 70% lower, Rawalpindi 63% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.51 PKR 971

$2.11 PKR 584

66.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.77 PKR 2,980

$16.10 PKR 4,454

-33.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.59 PKR 1,270

$6.07 PKR 1,680

-24.38%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.86 PKR 515

$1.78 PKR 492

4.49%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.17 PKR 1,431

$3.48 PKR 963

48.56%

Cappuccino

$1.65 PKR 456

$2.01 PKR 556

-17.91%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.41 PKR 114

$0.40 PKR 112

2.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.17 PKR 48.34

$0.23 PKR 63.1

-26.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 PKR 206

$0.87 PKR 241

-13.79%

White Bread (500g)

$0.55 PKR 153

$0.59 PKR 162

-6.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 PKR 353

$1.21 PKR 336

5.79%

Eggs

$1.18 PKR 327

$1.10 PKR 303

7.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.02 PKR 1,388

$6.25 PKR 1,729

-19.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.95 PKR 816

$3.55 PKR 983

-16.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.18 PKR 1,434

$4.94 PKR 1,366

4.86%

Apples (1kg)

$0.99 PKR 275

$1.20 PKR 333

-17.50%

Banana (1kg)

$0.56 PKR 155

$0.87 PKR 242

-35.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.69 PKR 190

$1.21 PKR 336

-42.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.55 PKR 152

$0.52 PKR 145

5.77%

Potato (1kg)

$0.32 PKR 88.7

$0.39 PKR 107

-17.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.52 PKR 143

$0.46 PKR 127

13.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.42 PKR 117

$0.31 PKR 87.1

35.48%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.40 PKR 110

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.83 PKR 507

$16.44 PKR 4,550

-88.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 332

$1.16 PKR 321

3.45%

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 PKR 667

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.04 PKR 563

$2.04 PKR 564

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.14 PKR 37.88

$0.19 PKR 53.9

-26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$9.01 PKR 2,493

$10.06 PKR 2,783

-10.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 PKR 289

$0.87 PKR 240

19.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.47 PKR 129

$0.35 PKR 95.5

34.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.53 PKR 424

$3.11 PKR 860

-50.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 PKR 317

$1.24 PKR 342

-7.26%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.9K PKR 5.5M

$19.3K PKR 5.3M

3.27%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$23.5K PKR 6.5M

$23.6K PKR 6.5M

-0.71%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$100 PKR 27.7K

$115 PKR 31.7K

-12.60%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$7.95 PKR 2,200

$5.61 PKR 1,551

41.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$16.48 PKR 4,561

$18.35 PKR 5,078

-10.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$5.81 PKR 1,608

$12.01 PKR 3,322

-51.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.46 PKR 2,063

$7.28 PKR 2,015

2.47%

Cinema Ticket

$3.23 PKR 894

$4.25 PKR 1,175

-24.00%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$35.14 PKR 9,724

$48.77 PKR 13.5K

-27.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,039 PKR 287.4K

$1,056 PKR 292.3K

-1.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$8.05 PKR 2,228

$17.54 PKR 4,852

-54.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$22.10 PKR 6,114

$32.61 PKR 9,022

-32.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$68.8 PKR 19.0K

$93.6 PKR 25.9K

-26.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.98 PKR 9,402

$35.98 PKR 9,956

-5.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$71.3 PKR 19.7K

$183 PKR 50.6K

-60.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$50.7 PKR 14.0K

$87.2 PKR 24.1K

-41.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$164 PKR 45.4K

$396 PKR 109.5K

-58.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$101 PKR 27.8K

$221 PKR 61.2K

-54.56%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$386 PKR 106.9K

$1,007 PKR 278.6K

-61.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$222 PKR 61.5K

$434 PKR 120.2K

-48.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$274 PKR 75.8K

$174 PKR 48.0K

57.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

22.81

-43.01%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Quetta: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rawalpindi: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Quetta

$125 30.1%

Rawalpindi

$139 27.5% 11.2% $14

Groceries & Markets

Quetta

$90 21.8%

Rawalpindi

$102 20.2% 12.7% $12

Eating Out

Quetta

$64 15.4%

Rawalpindi

$62 12.2% 3.5% $2.3

Clothing & Footwear

Quetta

$60 14.4%

Rawalpindi

$81 16% 35.2% $21

Accommodation & Living

Quetta

$51 12.2%

Rawalpindi

$87 17.3% 72% $37

Getting Around

Quetta

$13 3.1%

Rawalpindi

$13 2.7% 3.9% $0.5

Sport & Entertainment

Quetta

$12 3%

Rawalpindi

$21 4.1% 67.1% $8.2

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $71 in Quetta versus $183 in Rawalpindi. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 58% higher in Quetta, which reinforces the cost advantage – you earn more and spend less. Purchasing power leans clearly in its favor.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Quetta versus $16 in Rawalpindi. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $90 vs $102 – making Quetta the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇵🇰 Quetta

🇵🇰 Rawalpindi

🕒 Local time

14:50 2:50 PM

Same time as Quetta

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,001,205

2,098,231

💱 Currency

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.24 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Quetta Rawalpindi 680 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Quetta
Rawalpindi

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Quetta vs Rawalpindi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Rawalpindi is pricier by about 22%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $622 per month in Quetta and $756 in Rawalpindi. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Quetta, especially for central apartments: a one-bedroom in the center costs $71 there versus $183 in Rawalpindi.

Groceries cost about 13% more in Rawalpindi, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $11 in Quetta and $16 in Rawalpindi. That’s a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $415 in Quetta and $504 in Rawalpindi, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Quetta – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

For expats, Quetta is the easier option financially – housing and daily costs are lower, and overall it costs about 18% less, which matters a lot on a fixed budget or early-career salary.